Space architecture: Six buildings for the final frontier

By Cat DiStasio

Mars has captured the world's attention recently, but space agencies around the globe haven't forgotten that there's a whole slew of other planets out there. And with continued planetary exploration, of course, comes the necessity to set up bases that can support life, research and agriculture far, far away from home. Science and farming intersect in outer space, and the results are like nothing here on Earth. Many buildings designed for space rely on creative approaches like 3D printing, solar power, native materials and portability. We've included six structures in our gallery below, and each is more unique than the one that comes before it.

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Foster + Partners' 3D-printed moon base

Foster + Partners is well known for its innovative buildings, so it's no surprise that the base the firm designed for the moon is an architectural wonder. Constructed from 3D-printed parts, the lunar base would protect its inhabitants from meteorites, gamma radiation and temperature fluctuations.

F+P posits that materials harvested on site could be used to create the structures, which saves the trouble of having to lug a bunch of building supplies along on a rocket. Some components would have to be transported from Earth, but the concept of using lunar soil as building material could revolutionize extraterrestrial architecture.